Harvey Elliott England shirt protest: Fans claim they have clear evidence Liverpool star WASN'T being disrespectful despite his collar covering flag symbol in U-21 match

Elliott was seen with his collar up in the England Under-21's 5-1 victory over Azerbaijan on Friday in what could have been a protest. The new England kits sport a red, blue and purple cross on the back of the collar and have prompted backlash from a minority of fans, ex-players and pundits. With Elliott's collar up, the controversial cross was hidden.

However, many fans were quick to point out that it is unlikely Elliott did this in protest of the cross. When on-loan at Blackburn in the 2020-21 season, Elliott tended to play with his collar turned upwards. As Liverpool kits have not had collars in recent years, it may have been easy to forget his fashion preferences.

The controversy surrounding the collar blew up so massively that the FA had to release a statement. A spokesperson said: "The new England 2024 Home kit has a number of design elements which were meant as a tribute to the 1966 World Cup winning team. The coloured trim on the cuffs is inspired by the training gear worn by England's 1966 heroes, and the same colours also feature on the design on the back of the collar.

"It is not the first time that different coloured St George's cross-inspired designs have been used on England shirts. We are very proud of the red and white St George's cross - the England flag. We understand what it means to our fans, and how it unites and inspires, and it will be displayed prominently at Wembley tomorrow - as it always is - when England play Brazil."

As the FA statement read, England will play in the new kit against Brazil on Saturday night. Fans will be eager to see whether any other players turn up their collars, or if Elliott really just prefers wearing it in that specific way.